Composition for reducing intestinal gas production

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition comprising Bifidobacterium bacteria for use for reducing intestinal gas production in an individual.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for reducing intestinal gas production in an individual comprising administering a composition comprising  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria to the individual, wherein the individual's exhaled breath comprises at least 10 ppm H 2  under fasting conditions. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering the  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria prior to, with, or subsequent to consumption of a flatulogenic food by the individual. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria belong to the  Bifidobacterium animalis  subspecies  lactis.    
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria belong to the strain deposited under reference number CNCM I-2494. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a dairy composition. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the dairy composition is a fermented dairy composition. 
     
     
       7. The method according to according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one flatulogenic food. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the flatulogenic food comprises at least one ingredient of lactulose, lactose, fructose, xylose, arabinose, fructans, stachyose, raffinose, melibiose, manninotriose, inuline, starch, sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising administering the  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria prior to consumption of a flatulogenic food by the individual. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising administering the  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria subsequent to consumption of a flatulogenic food by the individual. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the flatulogenic food comprises at least one ingredient of lactulose, lactose, fructose, xylose, arabinose, fructans, stachyose, raffinose, melibiose, manninotriose, inuline, starch, sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising treating at least one digestive symptom of the individual associated with intestinal gas production. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the intestinal gas is post-prandial or digestive intestinal gas. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises from 10 8  and to 10 11  colony forming unit (CFU) of the  Bifidobacterium animalis  bacteria. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising administering the composition at least once daily for at least 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a fermented dairy composition and comprises from 10 8  and to 10 11  CFU of the  Bifidobacterium animalis , and further comprising administering the composition at least once daily. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the composition further comprises  Lactobacillus bulgaricus  and  Streptococcus thermophilus.